News &amp; Features - July 2012

Peng Wang lays tile Wednesday inside the new Kobe Sushi restaurant, which is scheduled to open next month in the Marketpalce at Centerra in east Loveland. (Photo by Craig Young)

Loveland resident Amber Tilton and her 9-year-old daughter, Aislinn, enjoy some frozen yogurt Wednesday outside the Menchie's shop in the Marketplace at Centerra. Behind them, work progresses inside the new Kobe Sushi restaurant that is scheduled to open in August. (Photo by Craig Young)

Tera Robben, right, and her daughter Holly Leppert with Robin Event Rental hang signs inside a tent while setting up for the Loveland Loves BBQ, Bands and Brews event in downtown Loveland on Thursday, July 12, 2012.

A home that survived the High Park fire is surrounded by charred forest Wednesday off Davis Ranch Road.

Celebrating her 102nd birthday, Herdes Berquist, left, shares a laugh with Rose Christensen, who said "I was asking her for some longevity secrets." Berquist celebrated with friends and family Thursday at The Sterling House in Loveland.

Youngsters hang out on the grass under a giant umbrella while eating frozen treats and listening to a story being read by Stansberry Elementary School principal Grant Waaler during a get-together Tuesday, July 10, 2012. From left to right are Shane Meese, 11, Isaiah Hildebrand, 10, Devon Evert, 10, Micaiah Hildebrand, 10, and Shelby Olson, 10.

Stansberry Elementary School principal Grant Waller, back left, reads a book aloud to youngsters gathered at the Loveland home of one of his students during a summertime get-together Tuesday, July 10, 2012.

Lizz Roth holds some of her favorite vinyl records Tuesday at Downtown Sound, a new store that sells and repairs vinyl records, turntables, guitars, amplifiers and more opened Tuesday and is co-owned by Roth and her parents Veronica and Ed Roth.

Gaius Buckley, 7, hits a tennis ball off the launchpad toward the green Tuesday while playing SNAG, Starting New at Golf, on the new course at Cattail Creek golf course in Loveland. He and other kids in the golf lesson program at the course got to try out the new course before it's grand opening which was hel Tuesday afternoon. The SNAG course, designed to make learning golf easy and fun, will be open daily starting today operating from 11:00 am until close.

Recent rains have rusted charred metal debris like this kitchen stove from a home that was destroyed off Davis Ranch Road in the High Park fire area.

Water runs high in the Big Thompson River Monday after a few days of heavy rain as Drew Delaney, 13, left, and Anthony Manzanares, 13, walk along the Recreation Trail under Railroad Avenue Monday in Loveland.

A charred tree is silhouetted against the sky Monday off Davis Ranch Road in the High Park fire area. High Park fire victims gathered Monday for a meeting with county officials who provided information about dealing with the fire's aftermath.

Patti Ellmann holds a metal teapot Monday found in the rubble that was left after her home burned in the High Park fire. Below are antique items given to her by her mother-in-law. She found the teapot on a hike with her parents when she was a child so she was thrilled to find it had survived the fire.

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Traffic passes Sunday along US 34 in front of The Dam Store after being halted Saturday evening for flash flooding and rockslides. The Dam Store has seen a drop in business during July due to wildfire smoke, safety concerns and media coverage according to its owner, Micah Noyes.

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Steven and Deanna Chavez, from Cheyenne, Wyo., try to choose the right-sized moccasins for their children Sunday at the Big Thompson Indian Village. The couple routinely travels to the area and have not been deterred by media coverage, wildfire smoke or inclement weather.

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Jason Lombard, left, from Loveland, buys a pie and chats Sunday with Colorado Cherry Company employee Nonie Degemann, right, also from Loveland. Lombard has found himself in the Big Thompson Canyon more often, doing his bike riding in Rocky Mountain National Park, instead of Fort Collins.

Herb's Medicinals owner Kevin Ballinger poses Friday, July 7, 2012 in one of the dispensary rooms in the business located at 435 Mountain Ave. in Berthoud.

Crossroads Church staff member Michelle VanAusdall, left, answers questions for Marie Medrano and Omar Guzman about items needed to be donated for victims of the recent High Park fire. A trailer has been set up in front of the church located at 5240 N. Taft Ave. for donated items. Visit http://www.crossroadscolorado.com for more information about donating goods or money.

Kayla Sterner, left, and Kate Mattes share an umbrella as they walk together in downtown Loveland during an afternoon rainstorm after having coffee at the Coffee Tree.

World War II vet John Mihalek plays with a machine gun on the Consolidated B-24 Liberator on Friday morning. Mihalek was a nose gunner on a B-24 Bomber in WWII. The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is one of three WII aircraft on display this weekend at the Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport.

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Athletic trainer Erika Rice, left, works with Sarah Ross of Loveland during a session Thursday. Rice, who works at Orthopaedic and Spine Center of the Rockies in Fort Collins has been selected by the US Olympic Training Center to work during the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.

Josh Davis and 7-year-old Ty Diesing play with a flying disc Wednesday afternoon while hanging out with friends and family members at Loveland's North Lake Park.

Josh Davis and 7-year-old Ty Diesing play with a flying disc Wednesday afternoon while hanging out with friends and family members at Loveland's North Lake Park.

Dylan Tippmann of Loveland, back to camera, gets a goodbye hug from Kauline Sidinger of Denver as some members of a gathering of former youth group members leave their picnic spot at North Lake Park on Wednesday. The group has been coming to the park on the Fourth of July for 14 years.

Fireworks explode in the air over Lake Loveland at North Lake Park during the City of Loveland's annual Independence Day celebration.

Jacob Pitts, left, Margaret Gruca and Jared Hannig enjoy the shade of a tree near Lake Loveland in North Lake Park while Gruca tends to the barbecue grill. The friends, all Fort Collins residents, were hanging out at the park Wednesday afternoon before the Fourth of July fireworks show.

Annetta Maestas, left, looks on while Rubi Renteria leaps in the air to return a shot while playing volleyball with friends and family at North Lake Park on Wednesday, July 4, 2012.

Kyle Bellisario, 10, left, Steven Bellisario, 12, and Kevin Binder, 8, have playful battle along the shore of Lake Loveland while playing together Wednesday, July 4, 2012.

Josh Gischel, 6, left, and his brother Jack, 3, sit together at North Lake Park on Wednesday, July 4, 2012 while waiting for the annual fireworks display over Lake Loveland to begin.

Devon Smith, 16, left, tosses a horseshoe while playing a game with Jenn Platzek and Mark Garrison at North Lake Park on Wednesday, July 4, 2012.

Junior pyrotechnician Jon Platt, right, and lead shooter Michael Feinberg from Angel Light Pyrotechnics out of Pierce, Colo. set up fireworks at North Lake Park on Tuesday afternoon in preparation for the City of Loveland's annual fireworks display Wednesday over Lake Loveland in celebration of Independence Day.